Elastic-fluid turbine.



R. H. RICE;

ELASTIC FLUID TURBINE APPLlcAloN FILED APR.21.1915.

1,156,627, Patented o@t.1`2,1915.

Fpyl.

' |2@ l l i f- 5 v 24 lr la "sy |14 Inventor:

'Ri 'ard H-Rice,

Hlsoq'fiolneg.

' tally divided cylindrical casing.

UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE. o

`RICHARD n. RICE, or LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, AssIGNoR To GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, `AlCORIPOLRATION OF NEW YORK.

v Erasmo-FLUID TURBINE.

Improvements in Elastic-Fluid Turbines, of,`

which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to elastic fluid turbines and has' for its object to provide an improved arrangement of horizontal turbine wherein the condenser for the machine'is located directly beneath the casing' thereof, the turbine and condenser having in part a common casing.. v

For. a consideration of what believe to b e novel and my invention, attention is' directed to the accompanying description and the claims appended thereto. 1 4

n the accompanying drawing, Figure `1 is a side elevation partly in section of'` a is asection taken on line 2-2, Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing, 3 indicates a horizontal elastic fluid turbine, here shown as of the impulse type having a horizon- 4 indicates the wheel o f the final or last stage. It may drive any suitable load and is shown as direct connected to an electric generator 5. The final stage of the turbme ex-V hausts into the chamber 6 fro-m whence the elastic fluid passes directly to the condenser 7. By this arrangement I avoid theuse of the exhaust conduit usually employed between the turbine and condenser casing, and

at the same time'provide a yery direct passage for the steam which is of large area and hence oers practically no 4opposition to the passage thereof. -The condenser is of the surface .type and the body of its casing comprises two principal parts 8 and .9. The part 8 is made integral with and forms-in substance a part of 'the turbinecasing proper. Inother words, it forms a part of the usual exhaust chamber of the turbine and alsoa part of the steam receiving chamber o'f the condenser. It has a lower wallLlO which is y vpreferably curved concentric with the turbine shaftgso that'the outer tubes will all be located at substantially the same distance from the turbine aXis. By thismeans the length of the steam paths to the variou'sV tubes'will be more nearly uniform than heretofore, thereby improving the condenser Speccationof Lettersllatnt.

Patented oet'. 12, 1915.

4Appuea'uon mea April 27,1915. serieu No. 24,317.

action and avoiding restrictions, pockets, etc.

vThepart of the condenser also has two incl1ned s1de walls 11 which terminate in flatv surfaces or flanges 12 for supporting the upper andJ removable half 12a of the turbinecasing. f

13 are supporting feet which are common to the turbine and condenser.` Ordinarily they will be supported by suitable longitudinally extending floor beams. These feet may extend along the whole length of the condenser or vnot as desired. The generator `is supported from underneath, as at 13a. vThe part 9 of the condenser casing has its upper and lower walls 14 and 15 curved to` conform to the turbine casing and extends up on'each side of the turbine casing as inf dicated, chiefly by the'dotted lines in 1. In other' words, this portion of the condenser partly surrounds the turbine casing, turbo-generator set, and illustrates'one f orm or embodiment of rny invention, and Fig. 2

a feature which makes for compactness, as will'be readily seen. A

16 and 417 indicate the removable condenser heads between which, and the condenser casing proper, are clamped the tube sheets 18 that support the horizontal condenser tubes 19 in the usual manner. The pipes Jfor the cooling water are indicated at 2O and 21 and that for drawing o the condensate at 22.

rl`he condenser tubes are relatively' long, as is necessary to get the most eective condensing action, but by placing them horizontally and underneath the turbine they do not increase the overall length of the unit. By so arranging them it is possible to inspect or renew them without disturbing the turbine or generator. Furthermore, the condenser does not occupy space that can be usedl for other purposes. Ordinarily the turbine and condenser will be so positioned that the latter is situated below the floor bea-ms and hence is out of sight, thereby imtends under said member, and in this man? ner I make use of space which would other.-

iwise be wasted.V The condenser tubesmay be proving the appearance of the unit as av arranged in any desired manner, but I prefer the arrangement shown in Fig. 2, because all the tubes in a given row Will be located at the same distance from the shaft axis and hence the frictional resistance to the passage of steam will be substantially 'the same at every point.

By the above arrangement it Will be seen that the condenser tubes 19 are brought very close to the Wheel or Wheels ofthe last stage .of the turbine'and that a connecting conduit is avoided. This means that the'vacuum of same time-the condenser tubes are readily accessible by removing the heads 16 'and 17.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, Ihave described the principle of operation of my invention, together With the apparatus Whic I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof; but I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is'onlyillustrative, and that the invention canV be carried out byl other means. y 1

What I claim as new and ldesire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. The combination with a horizontal elastic fluid turbine, of a condenser therefor comprising' a casing arranged directly beneath the turbine and having -a contour which conforms to that ofl the Vturbine casing.

2. The combination witha horizontal elastic fluid turbine, of-'a 'condenser therefor located directly beneath the turbine casing, said condenser having aportion of its casing formed integral Awith the turbine casing.

3. The combination with a horizontal elastic fluid turbine, of-a condenser therefor located directly beneath the turbine casing and having a contour which conforms to that of the turbine casing, the portion of the condenser casing adjacent the final stage of the turbine being formed integral With the turbine casing so that the tubes of the condenser are all exposed at onel end directly to the final Wheel chamber f the turbine.

4. The combination with a horizontal elastic Huid turbine, ofa condenser therefor loflanges.

6. vThe combination with a turbine and generator Which are connected by a bridg ing' member, ofa condenser which'extends parallel with the turbine and partially surrounds it and said member, and feet on4 opposite sidesof the condenser for supporting it and the turbine.

7. The combination with a horizontal shaft turbine having an exhaust chamber, of a.

condenser which extends parallel withv and partially surrounds the under side. of the and steam chamber being in direct communication.

8. The combination with a horizontal shaft turbine having an exhaust chamber at one end, of a condenser which extends parallel with and partially surrounds the under side of the turbine, one end of which forms a part of said exhaust chamber.

In witnesswhereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 23rd da of April, 1915.

'l .RI HARD H. RICE.

turbine, the exhaust chamber of the turbine i 

